Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-05-27
FULL OF DEAD BODIES.
INCREASING HORROR OF THE TERRI
BILE HOLOCAUST AT PARIS.

Nearly Forty Corpses of Women Recov-
cred and Many More In the Ruins
Heroic Conduct Of an Artist-The Vic
Tins Estimated at Nearly 2O0---Gen-
eral Foreign News.
PARIS, May 27-The scenes about the
ruins of the Opera Comique Thursday were
distressing in the extreme People thronged
the streets tearfully inquiring about their
friends. All day Thursday the firemen were
taking bodies out of the building, but to-
wards evening the search had to he ahan-
1oned, owing to the falling walls rendering il
unsafe TO continue the work. Eighteen bod
les of ladies in full evening dress were found
at the bottom of the staircase leading from
the second story. The bodies we're badly mu-
tilated having fallen in confused mass in
their headlong flight down the stairs.
twenty other bodies were recovered near the
stage. They We're fgurantes, ballet dancers,
and supernumeraries.
One hundred and fifty-six persons have
made inquiries at the hospitals and police sta
tons for missing relatives, believed to have
persisted in the fire. The excavated portions
beneath the opera house are filled with water
10 the depth of five feet, and the firemen en-
gagged in searching for bodies have discov
cred floating about more than sixty corpses.
Owing to the dangerous condition Of the walls
still standing, however, no effort was made
to recover the bodies, and nothing could be
done in that way until the safety of the work
ers was made more secure by the removal of
the tottering masonry Workmen were hard
at work pulling down the walls and at
tempts will be made to get the floating bodies
| as soon as possible
LATER-The search amid the ruins of the
Opera Cornique reveals the fact that the loss
of life is far greater than was at first sup
posed and it is believed, the victims will num-
her nearly, if not quite 200 The work of
searching for bodies was resumed Thursday
| night, and numlter more were exhumed
The official report says that fifty bodies have
already been recovered NJ Reveillon, a
| deputy, speaking in the chamber of deputies
Thursday afternoon. estimated that at least
200 persons lost their lives in the fire
When the fire occurred among the audience
was an artist named Philippe, who performed
| prodIges of valor in saving life Hemountel
ladder three times and saved three danseuses
after they had been abandoned by the fire
| men, In the Rue Favart a sudden gust Of
| wind cleared away the dense smoke when q
woman and two men were seen standing r
| an angle Of the uppermost cornice The
woman tried to jump but the men prevented
| her. When all were finally rescued tht
woman was a raving maniac
singer had a miraculous escape from
| dressing in an angle at the top Of the
huildIng He says the wind kept the fame.
off that part of the building, tut river o.
| molten lead poured from the roof, the cours'
of which he diverted with a board to prevent
the weight carrying down the shaky floor
Gems. BOulanger and Saussier, NM, Thi
haudin, Goblet, and many other prominen
| officers and statesmen were present at tn,
| Opera Comique when the fire broke out, but
all escaped unhurt. The police and other off
Gals, MS well as other attaches of tn,
| Comiqne. endeavored to underrate the mum
her of persons killed and injured, but til,
public is shocked at the rapidly increasing lis
of fatalities, Arrangements are being mad,
to have performances at the various theatre
| for the benefit of the sufferers
| The library of the theatre, containin!
scores of various operas, manuscripts AM
other valuable literature, was totally de
stroyed, together with the costly wardrobe
comprising 6,0o0 costumes. The theatre wa
insured for 900, 900 francs
The chamber of deputies has voted credi
| of 300W francs for the relief of the sufferer.
| 10y the fire.